GECKO GAZETTE

We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. The theme for 2024 is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”

“The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.”

-source: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html

September 15, 2024

Dear Grant Families,

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Thank you to the parents and community members who attended our first PTA meeting of the year. Many important topics were discussed, including the impending Bond measure, an upcoming digital wellness assembly for the students, and other information about the many upcoming events at Grant.

One of the most beloved Grant events will take place this Friday. The Grant World Cultures Festival brings together all of the cultures of our families into one place, providing a fun, festive, and educational experience! There will be food from around the world, art activities including Henna, sports demonstrations, and dancing! As always, we need of volunteers to help set up and break down the event. Please let us know if you can donate a little of your time to this amazing event.

As you may be aware, there has been a great deal of meaningful discussion starting last year regarding students’ overuse of smartphones and other technologies. Grant hosted a town hall last Spring and the District is currently in the process of creating a working group to create policy around this important topic. In the meantime, there continues to be deep interest at Grant in leading the charge on smart policies for smartphone use among our children. To further this discussion, on Tuesday, October 8th at 6:00 PM in the Grant School Auditorium, we will be screening a new film called Screenagers: Elementary Edition which addresses issues that elementary school-aged kids, parents, and educators are facing such as smartwatches in class, monitoring video game usage, social media pressures, young children's exposure to information on the internet, and what research shows is a healthy amount of screen time The film promises to present solutions to these and other challenges and is an essential watch for all those looking to address and support mental wellbeing in the digital age. Our students in grades 3-5 will attend an assembly by Digital Wellness expert Julia Storm on Monday, September 30th, as well.

Finally, we have completed our students' initial benchmark assessments in Reading and Math and are now reviewing the data to assist us in guiding our instruction and any necessary interventions. The District no longer sends home printed assessment reports but parents can access their child's report through the Aeries parent portal. Instructions for accessing these reports are in this week's Gazette.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Grant World Cultures Festival this Friday!

Have a great week, everyone!

GO GECKOS!

All my best,

Christian Fuhrer

Principal

Grant School

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

cfuhrer@smmusd.org

Please review these important dates:

• Tuesday, September 24th: Volunteer Training @ 3:00 PM on Zoom: Zoom link here; Meeting ID: 836 8956 9652; Passcode: 494609
• Wednesday, September 25th: Parents of Neurodiverse Students Resource & Support Group Meeting @ 8:45 AM in the Sky Room
• Thursday, September 26th: Fire Drill @ 10:35 AM

• Friday, September 27th: Grant World Cultures Festival - 3:30 PM on the Big Yard

• Monday, September 30th: Digital Wellness Assemblies for grades 3-5 with Julia Storm

• Wednesday, October 2nd: ELAC Meeting #2 @ 8:45 AM in the Sky Room
• Thursday, October 3rd: Local Holiday - Rosh Hashanah - NO SCHOOL

• Tuesday, October 8th: Community Education Night: Screenagers Movie: Elementary Edition @ 6:00 PM in the Auditorium. School Age Children welcome to attend.
• Wednesday, October 9th: BIKE IT! WALK IT! DAY 1

• Wednesday, October 9th: PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 6:30 AM on Zoom
• Thursday, October 10th: Grant DEI Committee Meeting @ 8:30 AM. All are welcome!
• Friday, October 11th: BIKE IT! WALK IT! DAY 2

• Wednesday, October 16th: Volunteer Training @ 3:00 PM on Zoom
• Thursday, October 17th: Great California ShakeOut Earthquake Drill
• Friday, October 18th: Coffee with the PTA in the front courtyard @ 8:00 AM
• Friday, October 18th: General PTA Meeting @ 8:30 AM in the Auditorium

• Monday, October 21st: School Site Council Meeting #1 @ 3:15 PM on Zoom
• Wednesday, October 23rd: Parents of Neurodiverse Students Resource & Support Group Meeting @ 8:45 AM in the Sky Room
  
• Wednesday, October 23rd: PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 5:45 PM in the Library
• Wednesday, October 23rd: General PTA Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library
• Thursday, October 24th: Lockdown Drill @ 11:15 AM
• Thursday, October 24th: Volunteer Training @ 4:00 PM on Zoom

Please do not forget to send with your child every day:

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Water bottle
• Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2024-25 school year.)
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

• Friday, Sept 27th, 3:30 - 6pm on Grant Big Yard
• FREE "WELCOME" event for ALL Grant Families!
• Free international food samplings, cultural performances, international arts and crafts, and music!
• Come wearing clothing that celebrates your culture! Encourage your child to wear a traditional cultural attire, a sports jersey etc. to school on that day or to the festival.
• **** Please remember to bring your reusable water bottle!*

• Screenagers Film: Elementary Edition. Screening for families on Tuesday, October 8th at 6:00 PM.

• This new version of the original Screenagers movie addresses issues that elementary school-aged kids, parents, and educators are facing, i.e., smartwatches in class, unhooking from and monitoring video gaming, social media pressures, exposure too young, and what research shows is a healthy amount of screen time, with many solutions to these and other challenges.

• Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition, is an essential watch for all those looking to address and support mental wellbeing in the digital age.

The annual PTA Reflections Art Contest for 2024-2025 is here! Please click the image above or the link below to get all of the information on how your child can participate in this fun activity!

Last year, Grant students represented over half of the participating artists in the District with approximately 250 of the almost 500 total students! Let's keep the fun going this year!

Gogh, Geckos! ✍🏻 🎻 🎥 📸 👯 🎨 🦎

2024-2025 PTA REFLECTIONS CONTEST INFORMATION WEBSITE

Thank you to New York Life and Representative Christopher Walters for partnering with Grant School and other SMMUSD schools. New York Life has launched a groundbreaking program called the Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative to better equip educators and other school personnel to support grieving students. We appreciate the free resources and $500 donation to Grant in order to support our teachers in developing skills to support grieving families.

Its purpose:

• Raise awareness about the prevalence of childhood bereavement and ‘grief in school’
• Increase the knowledge of the resources available for schools to support grieving students and their families
• Support schools/school districts in striving to become Grief-Sensitive through tangible resources, training, practical tools and a connection to a network of supportive services

To learn more about this partnership visit the following link: https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation/bereavement-support/grief-sensitive-schools-initiative

LA vs Hate – United Against Hate Week

September 21-27 this year.

Theme: Anti-Bullying

What is LA vs Hate?

LA vs Hate is a community-centered system designed to support all residents of Los Angeles County. Led by the Human Relations Commission, LA vs Hate works with community partners from all five County districts, representing a diverse coalition of voices committed to ending hate. The system aims to address the normalization of hate and inspire people to stand up to it, build understanding about what constitutes a hate act and how to report it, as well as support individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate. By tracking and reporting hate, we can ensure that resources are allocated appropriately, that those targeted by hate receive the support they need, and that together, we can build respectful and resilient communities.

Encourage the community to report hate incidents to 211 and/or the Santa Monica Police Department.

What is United Against Hate Week?

United Against Hate Week is a call for local and state civic action to stop the hate and biases that pose a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities. The UAHW campaign, which emerged from a poster campaign by Bay Area Cities, has spread to over 200+ communities. When cities and residents work together against hate, we can work to restore respect, embrace the strength of diversity, foster a sense of belonging and build inclusive and equitable communities for all.

On Monday, September 30th, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students will participate in an assembly featuring Julia Storm, Digital Media Wellness Educator, to talk about how to develop a healthy and balanced relationship with their digital world to become conscious and literate media users.

Parents, some of you may have seen Julia last year when she came to speak at Grant. Some of the topics she will address are:

• Communicating with Friends
• Watching out for Strangers
• Private vs. Public info
• Privacy Settings
• Mental and Physical Wellbeing
• Creating Healthy Boundaries

If you are interested in learning more, here are a few recommended resources:

• Julia Storm's website: https://www.reconnect-families.com/
• https://thesmarttalk.org/
• https://www.waituntil8th.org/
• https://www.betterscreentime.com/

The Grant community wants to see all its children thrive. With the rise in mental health distress, we want to bolster our students’ skills and abilities to make healthy choices. We hope you will partner with us to work for the health and well-being of our entire community.

• Before & After Care Access cards are now working!
• Please remember to bring your access card to pick up your child from after care.
• Access granted from 7:00 - 8:00 AM and from 3:00 - 6:10 PM.
• If you have an issue or are in need of a new card, please email Karen Miller at kmiller@smmusd.com. Lost cards incur a $10 replacement fee.

Our SILENT AUCTION and GALA FUNDRAISER are coming up in November!

We're looking for help soliciting donations for the auction to raise funds for our school! For those in our Gecko community who enjoy reaching out for donations from local establishments, restaurants, sports venues, events, etc -- feel free to use this Donation Solicitation Form HERE as you reach out. More event info to follow in the coming weeks - standby!

We love to have class art pieces to auction off at the Gala -- these often raise the most funds!! We are looking for any art-enthusiast parents from each class parent willing to spearhead an art project. (We don’t want to burden teachers with having them do this!) Parents should come up with the project and work with their teacher to find time for the parent to come in and lead the art project. Ideas for art projects HERE.

Please reach out to your class room rep if you'd like to organize this for your class.

** DEADLINE FOR ALL AUCTION DONATIONS IS FRI NOV 8th **

• Our Grant Library has reopened for the school year!
• If you are interested in volunteering in the library this school year, we could use your help! Opportunities include: checking in books, reshelving books, decorating the library and other projects.
• Please email our Librarian, Jennifer Roe, at jroe@smmusd.org with interest or questions.

• Online shop: https://grantpta.org/gecko-wear/
• Wear GREEN or GECKO GEAR

GRANT GEAR RECYCLE COLLECTION

Do you have Gecko Wear that no longer fits and can be passed on to our Grant community?

• We accept all sizes & styles from our different school events.
• Items being donated are to be cleaned and gently worn only.
• Please drop off your items in the school office.
• If you have any questions please contact Florencia Rams, our Bilingual Community Liaison at 310-450-7651 ext 63110 or send email to frams@smmusd.org or geckowearshop@grantpta.org

The Weekend Bag Program (WeB) provides SMMUSD students with nutritious, easy-to- prepare bags of food containing 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 snacks for the weekends. The Weekend Bag Program is available to serve to all SMMUSD students. Student names are not identified to Weekend Bag Program volunteers to ensure participant privacy. Reusable plastic bags are packed by volunteers with enough shelf-stable food (including UHT milk) for breakfast, lunch and snacks for two days. Participating students pick up the opaque nondescript bags, usually from the school office after school on Fridays, and stick them in their backpacks. The menus have been evaluated by a dietitian to meet federal school nutrition standards and provide a balance of healthy, nutritious non-perishable foods. Families wishing to enroll their students should contact our school’s Bilingual Community Liaison, Florencia Rams, frams@smmusd.org, 310 450-7651 x63110 and fill out a Program opt-in form.

El Programa de Bolsas de Fin de Semana (WeB, por sus siglas en inglés) proporcionará a los estudiantes de SMMUSD bolsas de alimentos nutritivos y fáciles de preparar para los fines de semana. Los estudiantes participantes de WeB se identifican a través de un formulario de registro de interés o a través de Enlaces Comunitarios Bilingües (BCL, por sus siglas en inglés). Los nombres de los estudiantes no se compartirán con los voluntarios de WeB para garantizar la privacidad de los participantes. Los voluntarios llenan bolsas de plástico reutilizables con alimentos estables (incluida la leche UHT) que contienen dos días de desayunos, almuerzos y refrigerios, y luego las llevan a la oficina de la escuela o al espacio de distribución designado. Los estudiantes participantes recogen las bolsas de alimentos y las colocan en sus mochilas. Un dietista ha evaluado los menús para garantizar que cumplan con los estándares federales de nutrición escolar y brinden un equilibrio adecuado de alimentos no perecederos, nutritivos y saludables. Las familias que deseen inscribir a sus estudiantes en el Programa de Bolsas de Fin de Semana deben comunicarse con Florencia Rams, frams@smmusd.org, 310 450-7651 x63110 y completar un formulario para inscribirse en el programa.

It is important that all students attend school every day. Exceptions may include if your child is ill. Please plan all family vacations during school vacation days. It is important to set your child up for success by assuring they are in school. For a detailed look at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's attendance policies, please click this link > http://www.grant.smmusd.org/registration/.

We realize some absences are for health or other reasons. But, when students are absent they can fall far behind in what they learn. Whether the absence is excused or unexcused It means your child is missing important classroom learning time.

Some Attendance Tips:

• Please notify the office within 72 hours to report your child's absence and the reason they were not in school.
• Illness, bereavement, and court hearings are the only reason for an "Excused" absence.
  
• Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
  
• Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones, and tablets at bedtime.
  
• Make sure clothes and pack backpacks are ready the night before.
  
• Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
  
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
  
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
  
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
  

Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day.

Your donation does so much for Grant!

Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important in funding crucial staff, programs, technology, and and supplemental materials and supplies, among many other things.

Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!

Grant School is known for being a “neighborhood school” and for its close-knit community. Our goal is to maintain the special characteristics of our wonderful school. It is important to understand that with these new procedures, we are not trying to remove our parents' and guardians’ access; we are merely trying to control who is accessing our campus and when they are visiting.

In an effort for parents to see where their child’s class is located on campus and to say hello to the teacher, parents in all grades may walk their child to the classroom for the first two days of school, Thursday, August 22nd, and Friday, August 23rd. It is important to remember that this time is not to meet with the teacher, rather, parents will have an opportunity to learn about their child’s class and ask the teacher questions at one of our Back to School Nights over the next two weeks.

DROP-OFF and PICK-UP PROCEDURES

Preschool and TK Drop-off: Due to State law, all Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students must be dropped off to their teacher. Preschool parents will continue to enter the campus at the main gates after checking in with the Campus Monitor, proceed to Room 59, and sign their child in with Ms. Reed. TK parents will walk their children to the Transitional Kindergarten yard where Ms. Martinez and Ms. Cedillo will greet them each day.

Preschool and TK Pick-up: All Preschool parents will meet Ms. Reed at the main gates for dismissal. Students whose parents have not picked up their child at dismissal will check into the main office and then proceed to Room 59 to check their child out from Ms. Reed. All TK parents will enter the Kindergarten playground from the Pearl Street entrance at dismissal time and students will be checked out by Ms. Martinez and Ms. Cedillo.

Kindergarten Drop-off: Kindergarten students will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the gate next to Room 2 beginning at 8:00 AM Monday - Friday. Students will walk to the Kindergarten playground where they will be met by a teacher or Campus Monitor. Students enrolled in SAP will be walked to their classrooms by SAP personnel.

Kindergarten Pick-up: Kindergarten students will be picked up at the Pearl Street Kinder gate at dismissal at 1:45 PM. Teachers will be there to greet parents and guardians. No Kinder student will be released to anyone other than a parent/guardian or emergency contact. Students enrolled in SAP will be picked up from SAP personnel in their classrooms.

Grades 1 – 5 Drop-off: All students in grades 1 – 5 will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the main gate in front of the school or at the 24th Street gate each morning. Students will enter the school and walk to the playground where they will be supervised by a Grant School Teacher, Campus Monitor, or Administrator. Drop-off will begin at 8:00 AM every day.

The start-of-school warning bell will sound at 8:25 AM. The final bell will sound at 8:30 AM. Students in grade 1 will walk to their lineup on the big map on the playground where their teacher will meet them and walk them to the classroom. Students in Grade 2 will walk to their lineup behind their classroom where their teacher will meet them. Students in grades 3 – 5 will line up in front of their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Grades 1 – 3 Pick-up: Students in Grades 1 – 3 will be dismissed at the following times: Grade 1 at 2:40; Grade 2 at 2:45; and Grade 3 at 2:50. Teachers will walk students to the main gate at the front of the school where parents will meet their children at this time. Students in Grades 1 – 3 who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk or be walked to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM.

Grades 4 – 5 Pick-up: Students in Grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed each day at 3:00 PM. Students will exit the campus either from the main gates or the 24th Street gate at the rear of the school. Students who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM.

After-Care Program Pickup Procedures: Parents of students in after-school care programs will receive or have already received a key card that will give them access to the front gate only. Please see the office if you have questions about this.

Early Dismissal Procedures: Wednesday drop-off and pick-up procedures are the same as those during regular school days but will follow the Wednesday bell schedule. Please see the bell schedule ABOVE.

SAP Drop-off: All students enrolled in SAP before-school care will be dropped off in Room 4. Drop-off begins at 7:00 AM.

Breakfast Club: Students who participate in the Grant Breakfast Club will still arrive at school under the same procedures as all students. Parents will drop their children off at the main gates by 8:00 AM so that there is ample time to eat and walk to their classrooms by 8:30 AM. Preschool, TK, and Kinder students will continue to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to Breakfast Club if the parent so chooses.

Raptor Security System

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will use the Raptor visitor management system to strengthen our campus safety programs for students and staff. All schools currently have this system installed.

An important aspect of keeping students and staff safe is for site staff to know who is on our campuses at all times. The Raptor system achieves this interest as it allows office staff to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers, in our schools and provides us with a safer environment for students, staff, and approved volunteers.

Upon entering campus, visitors will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian does not have a US government-issued identification, for any reason, the visitor may submit an alternative form of identification for school staff to enter into the Raptor system.

The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the identification is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not allowed on our campuses. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item at the front gate.

When you sign up for a box, not only are you supporting our school and local family farms, you’re also creating a healthy routine for your family!

Having fresh organic produce arrive at your doorstep each week is an easy way to build positive eating habits.

Boxes start at $20 and every box comes with delicious seasonal foods and easy recipes that the whole family will love AND 5% from every order comes back to school!

Use coupon code FarmtoFam for 25% off your first order.

Learn more and sign up at Good-Box.org

~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~

Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!

~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~

የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!